SCAN-P 65:91

Accepted 1991

Corrugated fibreboards and boards

Bending stiffness
Four-point method
1

Scope

This SCAN-test Method specifies the procedure for

determining the bending stiffness, in the machine and
cross directions, of corrugated fibreboard using fourpoint loading. The Method may also be used for solid
board and paperboard.
2

References

ISO 187

ISO 3034

Paper, board and pulps Standard

atmosphere for conditioning and testing
and procedure for monitoring the
atmosphere and conditioning of samples
(EN 20187)
Corrugated fibreboard Determination of
thickness

Note SCAN-test has withdrawn a number of test

methods and refers instead to the corresponding
ISO and/or EN Standards.
3

Definition

For the purpose of this Method, the following definitions

apply:
3.1
Bending stiffness The bending moment per unit
width of a rectangular test piece, divided by the
curvature according to the expression:

Sb =

M
cd

[1]

where
is the bending stiffness;
Sb
M
is the bending moment;
c
d

is the curvature (the inverted value of the radius of

curvature);
is the width of the test piece.

Principle

A rectangular test piece is clamped at each end with a

clamping pressure p over a length s, leaving a free span 1
in the centre, see Figure 1.
Each clamp can be turned around a rotation axis r A
force F is applied at each clamp at a distance h from the
rotation axis.
The bending moments F h cause the test piece to
bend, and the maximum deflection from the plane
through the two rotation axes (the distance e in Figure 1)
is measured.
The bending stiffness is calculated from the bending moment, the width of the test piece, the free span and
the deflection.
The time from the application of the force to the
measurement is 10 3 s, see Figure 2.

SCAN-P 65:91
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Figure 1

The four-point test configuration (testing corrugated fibreboard in MD)

Figure legends:
F = force
H = moment arm
L = free span
E = deflection

r= rotation axis
P = clamping pressure
s = clamp length

Apparatus

Use either an instrument specially designed for the

measurement of bending stiffness or a universal testing
machine having a suitably designed attachment. The
apparatus shall meet the following requirements:
The test piece shall be clamped firmly over its full
width at both ends. Each clamp shall be 50 mm deep and
at least 100 mm wide. The clamping pressure at right
angles to the plane of the test piece shall be (14 4) kPa.

The rotation axes of the clamps shall be perpendicular to the long sides of the test piece.
The free span shall be adjustable in three steps
lengths; 150, 200 and 300 mm. The free span 1 and the
distance h shall be known to an accuracy of 1 % or
better.
Note 3 The free span is defined as the distance
between the rotation centres of the clamps
(Figure 1).

Note 1 For certain corrugated fibreboard qualities

other clamping pressures may be needed. Corrugated
fibreboards with low strength properties in the
thickness direction may need a lower clamping
pressure to avoid crushing. Corrugated fibreboards
with high strength properties may need a higher
clamping pressure to ensure that the test piece surface
is plane.

Deflection

Note 2 Make sure that the clamping force is

adapted to the width of the test piece to give the
standardized clamping pressure.
The clamps shall be free to move to allow for changes in
free span at larger deflections.
The deflection e (see Figure I) shall be measurable to
an accuracy of 2 % of the reading or better. The sum of
any deflection indicator and rotation moment of the
clamps shall not impart to the test piece an additional
bending force greater than 1 % of the total bending
force.
The bending force F shall be applied at right angles
to the plane of the test piece at the beginning of the test
(assuming that the test piece is perfectly flat). The
bending force shall be known to an accuracy of 2 % or
better.

Time
Figure 2
6

Deflection versus time

Allowable deflections and free spans

Table 1 lists the free spans and widths to be used for

corrugated fibreboards of different types.
For other samples the thickness range given in Table 1
determines the free span. The 50 mm width is
recommended for samples with a thickness above 10 mm.

SCAN-P 65:91
Page 3
Table 1

The free spans and the widths to be used

when testing corrugated fibreboards and
boards of different thickness.

Type of
corrugated
fibreboard

Test
piece
width

Free
span

Table 2

mm

Approximate
thickness
range
mm

100

150

0,502,29

100

200

2,305,99

300

6,0020,00

mm
Single-wall
E-flute
Single-wall
B-, C- and Aflute
Double-wall
Triple-wall

l2
400 t

[2]

200 mm

300 mm

1,01,7
0,81,3
0,61,0
1,01,6
0,50,8

Note The result of this test is very sensitive to

changes in the moisture content of the test piece.
Handle the test pieces carefully and never touch
them in the area between the clamps. Keep them
away from moisture, heat, direct illumination,
expiration air and other influences that may change
their moisture content.

to check that is in the range 0,03 to 0,05 %.

Furthermore, if the corrugated fibreboard crushes during
bending, the strain must be reduced.
Table 2 gives guidance with regard to allowable
deflections for corrugated fibreboards at different
thickness at an allowable strain of 0,03 to 0,05 %.
Calibration

Calibrate and if necessary adjust the following components to meet the requirements specified in Section 5:
clamping pressure;
deflection;
bending force;
free span;
alignment of the clamps

Sampling and preparation of test pieces

Select or cut specimens of the corrugated fibreboard

from reasonably flat and undamaged areas. Avoid scores
or crushed areas.
Condition the specimens at 23C and 500 % relative
humidity as specified in ISO 187. Keep specimens and
test pieces in the conditioning atmosphere throughout the
test.
Measure the thickness as described in ISO 3034. Cut
test pieces (100 0,5) mm wide (50 0,5 mm for triplewall corrugated fibreboard) and with a length that
exceeds by 110140 mm the free span selected. The
longer side shall be parallel to the machine or the cross
direction. The long edges must be undamaged and
perpendicular to the plane of the sheet.

Note Check the allowable deflection before

testing unknown samples. In a preliminary test,
apply a force, record the deflection e and calculate
the strain e from the expression:
[3]
= 400e t/l2

150 mm
1,11,9
0,81,4

50

where
e
is the deflection of the test piece in millimetres;
is the strain in the outer liner as a percentage;
l
is the free span used in millimetres;
t
is the corrugated fibreboard thickness in millimetres.

Allowable deflection (mm) at

free span:

100

The strain in the liners shall be in the range of 0,03 to

0,05 % .The deflection e (in Figure 1) and the strain E in
the outer liners of a corrugated fibreboard or multi-layer
board are related as given by the equation:
e=

Corrugated
fibreboard
thickness
mm
1,5
2
3
4
5
7
15

Allowable deflections for corrugated fibre

boards at an allowable strain of 0,03 to
0,05 %.

Prepare at least 10 test pieces for each direction. Mark

them to identify machine direction and the top side.
9

Procedure

The procedure depends on the design of the test

instrument.
Select the appropriate free span with the aid of the
recommendations in Table 1 and adjust the instrument
accordingly.
Clamp the test piece in the apparatus. The full width
of the test piece shall be covered by the clamps. Set the
deflection indicator to zero.
Apply the force F slowly to avoid large deflection
vibrations in the test piece, see Figure 2, wait (10 3) s

SCAN-P 65:91
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and read the deflection e. Check that the strain is in
the allowable region (see Section 6).
Carry out 5 tests with the top side of the board on the
outside of the bend and 5 tests with the top side on the
inside of the bend.
10

12

Precision

Five laboratories tested pre-cut test pieces from the same

corrugated fibreboard samples under normal laboratory
conditions. The reproducibility and repeatability,
calculated as the coefficient of variation between and
within laboratories respectively, was as follows:

Calculation

For each test piece calculate the bending stiffness from

the equation

Type of sample
(corrugated
fibreboard)

F h l2
Sb =
e 8000 d

Single-wall A

where
Sb
F
e
1
h
d

[4]

is the bending stiffness in newton metres;

is the bending force in newtons;
is the the deflection after 103 s in millimetres;
is the free span in millimetres;
is the moment arm in millimetres;
is the width of the test piece in millimetres.

Calculate the mean bending stiffness separately for the

machine and cross directions, as required. Report the
results with three significant figures.
11

Test report

The test report shall include reference to this SCAN- test

Method and the following particulars:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

date and place of testing;

identification mark of the sample tested;
the mean results as specified in Section 10;
the number of replicate determinations made;
the coefficient of variation of the results;
any departure from the procedure described in
this SCAN-test Method and any other
circumstances that may have affected the test
results.

Mean bending
stiffness

Nm
MD
17,9
CD
8,17
Single-wall C
MD
10,2
CD
4,12
Single-wall B
MD
5,14
CD
2,22
Single-wall E
MD
1,61
CD
0,81
Double-wall
MD
19,9
CD
14,8
Triple-wall
MD
112
CD
62,7
* Coefficient of Variation

CoV*
within
labs
%
6,3
2,7
6,3
1,7
6,6
3,2
5,6
4,9
8,2
4,2
5,4
1,8

CoV*
between
labs
%
2,5
3,4
1,6
2,7
2,1
3,2
1,9
4,9
2,5
5,3
2,8
2,9

The fact that the coefficient of variation within

laboratories for some samples exceeds that between
laboratories indicates that the variability of the sample is
great in comparison with the variability of the means
reported by the different participating laboratories.
13

References

13.1 Fellers, C. and Carlsson, L.: Bending stiffness with

special reference to paperboard. Handbook of physical
and mechanical testing of paper and paperboard, Vol. 1,
Ed. R. Mark, Marcel Dekker 1983.
13.2 Carlsson, L., Fellers, C. and Jonsson, P.: Die
Biegesteifigkeit von Wellpappe unter besonderer Berucksichtigung assymmetrischer und mehrlagiger Konstruktionen. Das Papier 39 (1985):4, 149-156.

SCAN-P 65:91
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Annex
A.l Theory
For small deflections of a beam subjected to a bending
moment at its ends (see Figure 1) the curvature c may be
evaluated from the expression
c=

8e
l2

[A.1]

where
c is the curvature (I/radius of curvature);
e is the deflection in the centre of the free span;
l is the free span.

A.2 Practical considerations

The bending stiffness is defined by

Sb =

M
cd

[A.2]

where
Sb is the bending stiffness;
M is the bending moment;
d is the width of the test piece.
A bending moment M = F h is applied at the ends of the
beam by applying forces F with a moment arm h to the
clamps at the end of the beam (Figure 1).
The bending stiffness is thus
Sb =

F hl
d 8e

For a small curvature the deflection e is ideally a linear

function of the force, as shown in Figure 3.
Consequently, when using equation 7 to calculate the
bending stiffness, it is sufficient to record the deflection
e, caused by the forces F, within the elastic range.
At large deflections, the material becomes plasticised
and there is no longer any linear relation between
deflection and force.

[A.3]

In practice, sheet materials like corrugated fibreboard are

slightly twisted and deformable in the thickness
direction. Their properties are also time dependent like
those of all polymeric materials. In this Method these
factors have been considered.
Any slight twist is removed by the clamping
arrangement. By distributing the clamping force over a
large area, any undesirable deformation in the thickness
direction is avoided.
The time dependence is handled by applying the
force F slowly to minimize vibrations and by waiting a
specified time before recording the deflection e
(Figure 2).
A.3 Calculation of the bending stiffness from the
E-modulus
A3.1 The bending stiffness of a paper or board
consisting of one or several layers may be calculated
from the theory of elasticity by the equation:
Sb =

Force

EI
d

[A.4]

where
E is the modulus of elasticity, for each ply, in the
direction of loading (machine or cross direction);
I is the moment of inertia of the cross sectional area
for each ply, and is dependent on the position of the
ply in the sheet;
d is the width of the test strip.

In the calculations it is necessary to consider the nonhomogeneous structure of corrugated fibreboard.

Deflection

Figure 3 Force versus deflection. Ideal response.

A3.2 The modulus of elasticity is the same in tension as

in compression. The bending stiffness in a given
principal direction of the sheet is therefore independent
of the direction in which the material is bent, provided
that the boards are free from excessive curl.

SCAN-P 65:91
Page 6

SCAN-test Methods are issued and recommended by

KCL, PFI and STFI-Packforsk for the pulp, paper and
board industries in Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Distribution: Secretariat, Scandinavian Pulp, Paper
and Board Testing Committee, Box 5604,
SE-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden.